This invention relates to electrical connectors, and in particular, to improvements in or relating to connectors for connecting a conductive terminal pin to an electrical circuit.
In order to removably or disengageably connect the terminal pin member with the electrical circuit with zero longitudinal insertion force, a connector was known in the prior art as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,537. The connector includes at least one contact element to be electrically connected at one end thereof to the electric circuit. The contact element has a pair of spring arms which extend upwardly to oppose one another with a space, and contact portions formed on free ends of respective spring arms. Confronting contact surfaces are formed at facing sides of the contact portions. A conductive terminal pin is laterally moved and introduced between the contact surfaces to thereby be frictionally and electrically connected with the contact element. That is, the spring arms are elastically bent outwardly by the terminal pin introduced between contact surfaces, and the contact surfaces are in press-contact with a peripheral surface of the terminal pin. In the connector, a large force is required for overcoming the elastic force of each spring arm to introduce the terminal pin between the contact surfaces.
In a connector for a dual in-line package (DIP) as shown in FIG. 5 of the above-mentioned U.S. patent, a number of contact elements are arranged for receiving a plurality of leads or terminal pins of the DIP and all of terminal pins are simultaneously connected to the corresponding contact elements. In such an instance, a very large force is required for moving the DIP to electrically connect the terminal pins with respective contact elements.
Furthermore, in such a connector for the DIP, a plurality of contact elements must be arranged in registry with terminal pins of the DIP. If not so, the reliable contact between the terminal pins and the contact elements is not always insured.